Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-09
KIN 6
Solomon S Mines.

At length after pause during which he
appeared to be thinking deeply. ne Sp ike:
''Incubu, MacumuZahn, and BOughWan,
brave white men, and my friends; Infadoos,
my uncle, and chiefs; my heart is fixed.
will strike at Twaa this day, and set my
fortunes on the blow, ay, and my life; my
life and your lives also. Listen: thus will |
strike. Ye see how the hill curves round
like the half-mOOn, and how the plain runs
like green toward us within the curve"
I'VE see" / answered.
Good; it is now midday, and the men
eat and rest after the toll of battle. When
the sun has turned and travelled little way
toward the dark, let thy regiment, my uncle,
advance with one other down to the green
tongue. And it shall be that when Twala
sees it he shall hurl his force at it to crush
it. But the spot is narrow, and the regi-
menti can come against thee one at time
only; so shall they be destroyed one by one,
and the eyes of all Twaas army shall be
fixed upon struggle the like Of which has
not been seen by living man. And with thee
my uncle shall go Incubu my friend, that
when TWala sees his battle-ax flashing in
the first rank of the 'Grays' his heart may
grow faint. And [ will come with the
second regiment, that which follows thee, so
that II We are destroyed, as 1t may happen,
there may yet be king left to fight for; and
with me shall come Macumuzahn the wise"
at is, well, oh, king" said InfadOos, APP
parently contemplating the certainty of the
complete humiliation of his regiment with
perfect calmness. Truly these Kukuanas
are a wonderful people. Death has no ter
rors for them when it is incurred in the
course of q duty.
And whilst the eyes of the multitude of
Twala's regiments are thus fixed upon the
fight" went on IgnOsi, behold, one third
of the men who are left alive to us e. e.,
about six thOusald) shall creep along the
right horn of the hill and fall upon the left
flank of TWalas force, and one third shall
creep along the left norm and fall upon
TWala's right flank. And when | see that
the horns are ready to toss TWala, then will
|, with the men who are left to me. charge
home in TWala's face, and if fortune goes
with lis tie day will be ours, and before
Night drives her horses from the mountains
to the mountains we shall sit III peace at
Loo. And now let us eat and make ready;
and, Infadoos, do thou prepare, that the
plan be carried out; and stay, let my white
father B0ugWan go with the right horn that
his shining eye may give courage to the
men"
Tie arrangements for attack thus briefly
Indicate were thus set in motion with a
Ta9idlty that spoke well for the perfection of
the kukIlna military system. Within little
more than IN hour rationS had been served
out to the men and rcVOured, the three diyi-
SiCns We're formed, the plan of attack eX-
planned 70 the leaders, and the whole force
with the exception of a guard left with the
wounded. now numbering about eighteen
th0uSAlia men in all, was ready to be put in
motion.
Presently & OF came up and Shook hands
with S.r Henry and myself.
,'Goo,i-,,ye, YOU fellows lie said, Il am
Off Wiz! tie right wing according to orders;
and so have come to shake hands in case
we should not meet again, you know he
added, significantly.
We shook hands in silence, and not with.
out the exhibition of as much emotion as
Englishmen are wont to show.
ut is a queer business" said Sir Henry
his deep voice shaking little, land coli.
Tess never expect to see to-morrow'S sun.
AS far as L can make out, the GrayS, with
whom ana to go, are to fight until they are
wiped out in order to enable the wings to
Slip round unawareS and Outfianl TWaIa.
wei, SO be 1t; at any rate, it will be a mans
death! Goodbye, old fellow. God bless
you! l hope you will pull through and live
to collar the diamonds; but if you clio, take
my advice and don't have anything more to
do with pretendersW
In another second Good had wrung us both
by the hand and gone; and then Infadoos
came up and led off Sir Henry to his place
in the forefront of the Grays, whilst, with
many misgiyings, l departed with Ignosi to
my station in the second attacking regiment